Good evening. It is 5:01
p.m.
» This is the public safety committee
meeting on March 16th, 2026.
I'm Rob Wattton, chair of the committee,
and I am calling us to order. First
order of business is roll call and we
have members of the uh committee here
present. Council member Cotton, Council
Member Holloway, as well as City
Attorney Dina Burke, Mayor James Mayhew,
and Rebecca Sullum. And uh welcome all.
So, first order of business.
Next is the approval of the agenda as
presented. Are there any corrections,
additions to tonight's agenda?
Hearing none, we'll accept the agenda as
presented. Thank you. Next, we'll move
on to public comments. If you happen to
be in person, we welcome your comments.
Uh you're given up to three minutes here
um to to present. If you're not here,
you can always send in your comments to
the city clerk, to the city um mayor or
to the council members and we will make
sure that those are noted.
Uh we'll move on to the minutes and we
have two sets of minutes. Uh we need to
approve the minutes. First of all, dated
February 17th, 2026.
Council members, are there any additions
to the minutes from the 17th of
February?
» None that I saw.
» Seeing none, we'll go ahead and approve
the minutes from February 17th, 2026.
And then next is the approval of the
minutes dated March 2nd, 2026.
Are there any corrections to those
minutes?
Seeing none, we will approve the minutes
of March 2nd, 2026.
And now
the real reason why you were here
tonight,
and that's agenda bills. We've got uh
just one this evening. It's AB26-00005,
ordinance amending chapter 10.24,
compression breaks. And uh when I before
I call the chief up to um present on
that, we do have a modification from the
city attorney and it's on section three
and attorney Burke, would you care to
fill us in on the last line, please?
» Thank you, chair. Um in section three,
that's the corrections by city clerk of
code revisor. There's a minor typo in
the last clause. It should read or
ordinance, comma, section, comma, or
subsection numbering. So, if um the
committee recommends this goes forward
to uh council, um I would recommend that
that uh typo be fixed.
» Council members, are there is there any
objection to changing the wording and
and cleaning it up as we move forward?
Hearing none, we'll accept that as an
amended portion to tonight's agenda
bill. And with that, I'm going to call
on
on Chief Hores to bring us up to speed
on changes to the compression brakes.
And this is to approve ordinance 1317
and amend the Snowquali Municipal Code
of 10.24
on compression brakes. You can do it
from the comfort of your chair. You
don't even need to stand up.
» I have a mic now. Uh, good evening,
council members, mayor, um, interim
chief Gary Horesy. And this agenda bill
seeks to repeal and replace chapter 1024
on the compression brakes, which was
originally adopted by the city in 1986.
um throughout or well I'll just say the
city of Snomi has received multiple
complaints um regarding compression
brakes used in the city and
through doing some research we have and
looking at our previous um or or the
current ordinance we feel there needs to
be some updates um defining what a motor
vehicle is defining what a compression
brake Jake brake is um or better known
as a Jacob's brake and just kind of
updating the code from back then to
bring it more into the standards of what
Snamami is now with the residential
areas to address the concerns especially
along the Parkway and 202 where we get a
lot of truck traffic. Um, so we're
asking to update that with the ordinance
that's been presented before you, which
define, you know, like I said, defines
the engine compression brake, um, of
motor vehicle, and then it describes
when it shall be used, which we're
saying it shall not be used in the city.
And then we also updated the penalty
from $50 to $250.
Um, and then we left we added a piece in
there talking about a signage addition,
which we already have the signs in
place, but our current ordinance doesn't
really address that. So, we're adding
we're adding that piece in there. Um,
and with that, I'm happy to answer any
questions or give you a little, you
know, provide more information if
needed.
» Thank you, Chief. The very first thing,
the ordinance as it stands now is from
1986,
if I followed correctly. Correct.
» And that was before the parkway was even
imagined or or built because that came
along about 10 years later. You couldn't
even go up past where the hospital is
now from 18. So just put it in context.
Things have changed a little bit and a
few houses been built where they're
probably affected the most. So that's my
commentary. Council member Cotton.
» Yes. I just was wondering. So, um cuz
even, you know, downtown you can hear,
uh both those areas when trucks are
trying to run the red light down, you
know, to get get back to the the quarry.
Um and they uh cuz you can hear them
accelerating and trying to beat the
light and then they hammer down on the
Jake break and um and it the the sound
carries tremendously. How will PD um
actually enforce that? I mean, unless
you're obviously witnessing it. Is there
I mean, you can't really do it from uh
citizen complaints, right?
» No, ma'am. We have to on view the
violation. Um we have the officers have
been instructed to put a focus and an
emphasis on this along the parkway
listening for it. Um part of it is is
there's twofold to this. Yes, we've
and I heard it last week sitting in my
office working on um other things where
I heard the Jake break being utilized.
» Yeah.
» Um but we also have the noise coming up
the parkway where they're just trying to
maintain a speed. So there's but there's
two different distinct sounds. The Jake
brake has a little bit of a faster
repetition to it because it's
compression pushed back on the engine
from the exhaust system. And so um
we'll on view and then we will you know
issue a citation if necessary. You know
there's officer discretion in that. Um
but we're we've also asked and I'll get
into it a little bit later on the next
presentation. But I've also asked for
this to be addressed with the commercial
motor vehicle division of state patrol
um while they're out in the area just to
provide assistance when our officers are
tied up on things or not necessarily on
the parkway. So, I've asked for a little
bit of assistance that will be addressed
more so in other other areas or they can
site into our court and then we would
obviously site into our court on a
municipal side. Um whether it's under
the 1986 version at $50 or if we update
it in the, you know, next council
meetings that it would be a $250 fine or
whatever y'all may choose to change or
whatever. This we're recommending a $250
fine.
» Yes. A followup council member followup
is um so if we pass this through
whatever the fine and I agree with it
being a higher fine is this something
where um we could notify all the
trucking companies out there by Mil Pond
um uh the owners that hey this has gone
up and it's going to it could make a
dent in your wallet. So, I've already
started reaching out to some of those
companies through our officer who's
actually on light duty right now going,
"Hey, we're seeing these issues." And
one of them we'll talk about in a little
bit and reaching out to the companies
that we see frequently down the Parkway
going, "Hey, we're trying to address
this. We're giving you a heads up and
we're just doing that communication
going, we need y'all to help us."
» Great.
» So, there is that notification already
taking place in a lot of areas.
» Super. Okay.
» All right. Council member Holloway,
» Why 250?
» Uh, I looked at different uh ordinances
and and talked to the prosecutor's
office and that was something that is
just kind of becoming more of a
standard. They range from anywhere from
150 to 250 based on the time frame from
1986. Obviously, inflation has changed
what they what fines look like and
um so I'm kind of trying to stay with
industry standard right now. Okay. And
» Go ahead.
» Help me. Why why we're making this
change? I again uh the defining of a
compression brake.
I don't necessarily believe that helps
you in further enforcement, but it does
define it. Defining a motor vehicle. I
think we know a tractor is a motor
vehicle. So, I don't think we often get
questions along those lines. Is really
the intent here to do some of that
cleanup, but also to update the fine
level. just to do everything kind of
bring it up to speed to say that when
they're not authorized provide the
definition of what they are because
there's different variations of it so
it's not just a Jacobson break which is
a brand name um and then yes to to
update the penalties and then we
obviously added the signage piece into
this saying that we have it posted which
we already do but it's not currently
listed in our ordinance so we're just
kind of bringing everything up to speed
» And the prior ordinance inhibited you
from enforcement No, it just we're
trying to clearly define it so that
there's no argument on the court side
and prosecution saying, "Well, you
didn't post it, but this way we're
saying we we we have signs posted on the
Parkway going both directions saying
compression brakes are illegal."
» Um, but it's not in there. So, it just
helps us with the prosecution side when
I ran it through them that they asked
for that to be defined as well.
Any further questions, council member?
That's good. I've got one. Does speed
have anything to do with increased
usage? Because as you're mentioning that
you can hear from your office, the
trucks coming up the parkway as well as
those that are coming down and breaking.
» So compression brakes are used on the
downhill.
» They're not on the uphill. So speed can
play a factor in it a little bit. Um
it's it it also depends on what their
weight load is and everything else. If
they're hauling, let's say they're
leaving the construction site at the
hospital or at I90 and 18 when they were
moving a bunch of stuff, the heavier the
load, the louder that compression
break's going to be because it's got a
heavier weight limit that it's trying to
reduce. So it's kind of a combination of
those two. Um, and then the noise going
up is just them carrying that work, that
load up the hill.
» Okay.
» All right.
» And it's as much a style on the part of
the driver as it is. He can use the
brakes. They're designed for it. He
wants to save on the brakes. He'll use
the Jake it. So, it driver option.
» Okay. All right. Any further questions?
Mayor Administration,
uh, other council member Cotton,
do do you have any issues moving this
forward to the full council for
consideration at this point?
» No issues.
» And this is a two reading
» Process anyway. Okay. And if there's no
objection, we'll just go ahead and ask
for that on the FNA calendar and and for
on the uh regular calendar as well.
Okay. I
» Think it's already there.
» All right. Yeah. Well,
» Written ready to go tomorrow. Yeah.
» Fabulous.
» Okay. Excellent. Thank you. Hearing no
objection, we will move the agenda bill
AB26-005
ordinance amending chapter 10.24
compression breaks to the council
agenda.
And we've got two more items of
discussion. Is there anything else? Are
you good?
» You're good.
» Yes.
All right.
» We We realized we didn't know which one
of us was going to cause it to be on the
screen.
» Oh, okay. I can do it.
» That's important. Okay. So, while you're
queuing that up over there. Yes.
» Because all I do is sit here and just
kind of entertain everyone. Um our our
next point is to go on to discussions.
And the very first one is the uh police
chief timeline. And who is leading off
on this?
» That's the one we're trying to put on
this.
» Jimmy, can you promote me to panelist so
I can share my screen
» On the edge of our seats?
There we go.
» Can you all see that tweet day?
» A bit.
» Mayor, I presume you're presenting on
this,
» Correct?
» All right.
» Mayor Mayhew,
» That is the uh the calendar for March.
So, the 23rd, 24th, and 25th of March.
Um this is the timeline we have for
interviews, public interviews, council
interviews, the various interviews that
are going to happen uh with um the
police chief finalist candidates. So I
wanted to make you aware of that. Um so
on the 23rd um there's some internal
interviewing still going on. On the 24th
we'll have meet and greets in the
council chambers from 2 to 4:00. We've
invited business owners from throughout
the city to come in and they'll have a
chance to just interact with the
different candidates from 6:30 to 8. Uh
same thing this time we've just invited
the community residents to come in. Um
the idea between doing those two groups
separately is that they might have
different sort of nature of questions um
focus of questions. So, we want to
enable that. And then it's also two two
different times of day so that folks
that can um maybe not make one can make
the other.
Then, uh on uh the 25th, Wednesday the
25th from 4 to 6:00 p.m. we'll have a
council meet and greet. So, this is just
you council members. Um
chairs over there.
» Oh, yes.
» Yes, please. Council member C.
» Interject. Isn't this the one where we
had one of the um conflicts with
schedule because that is um you know
coming up on on when we were having the
SVGA meeting or is this to try and get
it done before we
» No, that was just a there was an error
in the email that went out to you. There
actually never was a conflict. We just
told you the wrong date. So the email
that I sent to you said that the thing
that you see there on the 25th
» Uhhuh. In my email to you, I told you it
was on the 24th, which would have been a
conflict because the 24th is the SVGA
meeting.
» No, that's
» I'm saying it backwards.
» Yeah, the SVGA meetings are on
Wednesday.
» Yes.
» They've always been on the last
Wednesday.
» All right, let I'll just make sure that
this is clarified, but the day that we
have lined up for you is not the same
day as the SVGA. So now if this is an
error,
» I thought it got moved to Thursday by an
email from Nicole.
» Yeah, we never moved it. It was just
that we told you the wrong thing. So let
me find out. Sounds like I need to
double check the calendar.
Uh and um clear this up. So I'll send
you an email.
» Okay. meaning the three of you
» Uh and if there's any correcting this
and uh if there's any mistake in what's
gone out to the full council then we'll
correct that as well.
» Great. Thank you.
» Um so over those three days uh the point
here is um well the point was to tell
you the plan but uh three different
groups of community
uh meet and greets with the candidates
um is kind of our plan over a three-day
period.
Uh, Council Member Holloway.
» Uh, and where does the council
participate in interviews?
» Uh, that's the 4 to 6 PM meet and greet
on the 25th.
» That's a meet and greet.
» Yeah.
» It has often been the case where the
council participates in interviews
in addition to meet and greet.
» We didn't wasn't planning to do that.
I I don't like that
again it has been practice council
participate in the interview
particularly of
» Department
» Director chief and what and at that
level um
» It will be hard to schedule a seven
council member interview. No, no, no.
» It's representative. It's like two
council members participate in one of
the interview panels.
» Uh or there's usually a a staff level
interview and then there's a uh call
executive level interview and the
council participates one to two members
in that executive level interview.
um
mean and greet again the the positions
have to be ratified by the council I it
helps in that decision.
» Yeah. So the goal here was to enable the
full council to have interaction with
the candidates so they'd be in a
position to cast their vote to
um confirm or not confirm an
appointment. And so since every council
member has to take that vote, the goal
was to try and enable all of the council
members to have interaction that would
allow them to do that. Um I I'm guessing
you're not against that or
» I'm not against the meet and greet.
Se uh representative council members
need to participate in an interview
panel.
your choice where,
but there needs to be participation by
representative council in that interview
process.
We're not going to get down to issues
over cheese and grape juice. I won't say
wine. Uh because I assume it's not wine.
» We wish.
» Yeah, we wish. It should be a lot
easier.
» So, switching back to the meet and greet
for just a moment. Um, the goal is to
absolutely make that a a useful meeting
because the only people invited are the
seven council members. So, whatever
format that So, I know you're talking
about something else. I'm not ignoring
that. I'm just saying with regard to the
meet and greet, if you'd let us know how
what would be the most useful format for
the meet and greet that all seven of you
hopefully will be able to participate
in, I'd like to set that up in whatever
format is most helpful. Um,
and then your other request is have one
or two council members involved on an
interview panel as well. So, I'm hearing
that, but if you, so I don't have an
answer for you on that right now. We'll
have to go back and think about that.
But with regard to the meet and greet,
if you could tell us if the, you know,
what format would be most useful, that
would be great.
I think the the point is this, mayor, is
we've all gone through several different
panels and and department heads and and
typically the chair of each of the
committees is involved in it plus
another member could be from the the
committee or or another committee, one
of the seven. But but being involved in
that process has been enlightening
because we bring the perspective of
hopefully all seven and our concerns and
we kind of come back with a sense of
trust and by the time it's determined
who the pick is, there's there's already
um buy in by certain members and we look
to each other for that guidance. and you
were part of the council as well. So I
mean this is not foreign to you as well.
Um but I think to council member
Holloway and I think council member
Cotton is going to chime in here in a
moment as well which I I welcome is it
just we need to make sure there's a
diversity of point of view because what
we as the seven council members is what
you were a part of. we we have a
different perspective than what other
department heads other folks that may be
um uh stakeholders in the community and
we come together and coales and then
when that person is chosen hopefully
we're all of the same mindset and and I
think that's part of the concern and and
secondly it comes back to open public
meeting acts if we are seven meeting u
the candidate I'm not sure that it's
going to give the right perception if
it's closed and not inclusive of the
community so that we're not like
creating and and making decision on our
own. And I I I think you know, attorney
Burke may
want to chime in or may not. All right.
Can we just go you brought up a whole
bunch of points so let's go through
them. That'd be all right.
» Sure.
» First off, one of the things I'm
responding to is complaints by your
fellow council members about council
members who have been excluded. They
weren't on the interview panel and have
expressed several of them um frustration
with that. So the goal here, my goal is
to include the council in ways that make
the counsel let the council get to the
very important confirmation decision
they have to make in the way that most
helps you. So, this is not a um
difference of opinion. Whatever helps
you is what we're going to do. So, um
what I need to hear from you is what
would help you and then that's what
we'll do. But do be mindful that um
council members that aren't the ones
that are on the interview panel have
expressed frustration with that. So,
I'm, you know, if we can find some set
of things, maybe it's a meet and greet
and panel like, if we can find some set
of things that kind of help all seven of
you get to the decision you need to
make, then that's what I'm in favor of.
Um, city attorney, one one question was
brought up is this meet and greet um and
OPMA concerns. Do you have any comment
on that?
» Uh, yes, mayor. I would recommend it
being noticed as a special meeting. So
technically members of the public could
attend in the audience um but it could
be you know whatever format you know
council desires you know for asking the
candidates questions.
» Thank you council member Cotton. Um, so
my question kind of dovtales in on that
last part is that and I do think we
should at least do a combination of the
two, have several council members
involved with the interviews and then we
can also have the council meet and greet
so nobody's noses get out of joint about
not being on the interview panel. My
question was more to you you had made a
comment mayor about us um kind of
coalesing or you know our vote and so in
what when would we do that since uh as
far as making a a decision uh of the
council? um because obviously we would
want to be talking about it probably
amongst ourselves as far as you know if
it was down to a couple candidates and
things like that. So what's the kind of
the vision or process we see for for
that or
» If I may just as a reminder the pick of
the administrative head is the mayor's
unless I'm wrong is the mayor's choice
but they're confirmed by the council. So
we go through this process. It's a
vetting process and then the mayor gets
to make the ultimate recommendation back
to the council. And council member
Holloway, you've been through this a
gazillion times. Um, please help me if
I'm missing anything.
» Use a different number, but
» You're a veteran. You're a veteran. So,
so as far as that, I mean, what we're
doing is we're helping vet the
candidates and help the mayor and his
decision, but it's ultimately the mayor
that gets to choose who he appoints and
we confirm. Is that correct?
» Yeah, that's absolutely correct. And and
the the point I'd add here is the
council members have a lot of
well evidently one of them has a lot of
experience gazillion times. Um others
have may no but in all seriousness
council members have a perspective that
will will advise. So I think um as I
make this choice the advice of council
members is something I very much could
use. So I think there's two concepts
here is help advise
great that will help me and guide me in
my decision. Um but ultimately
you have as a body the final say you
will either confirm or not. So you are
also trying to accomplish your own task
of deciding each of you how you will
vote. So there sort of two things I'm
hoping to get out of this. The advice
and then obviously the confirmation of
whatever choice. And to the question of
what's the time frame,
my answer is it sort of depends. It may
be that we go through this process and
most people feel that the answer is very
clear, very quickly and we move quickly.
It may be that it's not so clear. So um
it sort of depends how we go. So, I
haven't put in a specific date, but the
intention would be to move following
this process
expeditiously, shall we say, to a
decision.
» So, Council Member Holloway,
» Privately, I can tell you offline, there
have been two separate occasions when I
have advised the mayor, the then
standing mayor not to pick a particular
candidate for various reasons. I can
name two instances in which that advice
was
uh taken but gone a different direction
and proved very detrimental to the city.
You've left no opportunity for that
interaction that happened as part of the
interview activity. If you are setting
this up in which if I don't like a
candidate, I've got to rip him open in a
public meeting. I'm kind of at the stage
my career I'll do that.
Okay. But I don't think that's a proper
way. I don't think that leads to good
feelings at that meeting if we have to,
you know, basically gut the candidate in
public.
Um whe whichever way the vote goes, uh
I'd rather step into it and part of that
is council representative council
participation in the interview on which
there can be again post discussion of
good candidate, bad candidate, don't
like that, like that. What does that
mean? Um, so
I
you tell I'm strongly feeling it there
needs to be council participation in an
interview format.
» Mayor Mayhe,
» That's sounds fantastic. I think um my
intention which I sort of wrote down
here, maybe we need to actually come
back to you and talk about or or lay out
a consultation process. My thought was
frankly after the council meet and
greet, my intention was to in fact poll
one and when I say poll, let me say it
differently to speak with each of the
seven council members and receive their
advice individually and
sort of in whatever length of time to
sort of explore that. So I really had an
idea of a process of really going to the
council members who had done who had
come hopefully all of them saying what
did you think why tell me more you know
what about this what about that and
really kind of um get the full benefit
of of that advice. So the intent my
intent is a process of interacting with
you all oneonone excuse me oneon-one. So
maybe we should sort of put that in
there. Process time frame, a
consultation process time. So um I'll
think about that and put it on uh put it
on the agenda or on the calendar.
» May May I make another suggestion? And I
I have similar feelings. However,
they're they're honed a little
differently. That's all. Um and I I
think the the concern is this.
You have several panel, you have two
panel interviews. I don't know exactly
what you know what the format is on
that. I'd like to see
um the council members that want to
participate in the interview process be
included somehow some way. And for
instance, maybe they're included in the
panel interviews
where there's a couple council members,
but also give them the option if if they
don't have the time to participate in
the meet and greet with the business
owners to hear that context with the
community to hear that compact context
or be included in the mayor's interview
um panel. That would be my suggestion.
And maybe all seven or six now six um
four or five are able to and somebody's
just simply because of their schedule
not able to. I think that there would be
more comfort around the council and
that's what I'm hearing from council
member Holloway and we've all have hired
people whether it's through the city or
through our own businesses
and realize the times that you know
those interviews you try to make them a
little bit better each time because um
that's the one chance where you can kind
of
understand a little bit more deeply
about the candidate. And I totally agree
with council member Holloway and that is
just doing the meet and greet and and us
all being really nice to each other and
and sometimes the brutal reality is
business has to happen and the business
of our community is incredibly
important. This is a very important role
and um just you know it's it's the
process is ultimately up to you but
we're just asking for greater
involvement than the meet and greet. I
think that's what I'm hearing is there
there's different ways that we want to
be involved and we want to be able to be
there to help support whomever you pick
and and wholeheartedly support that not
only the the confirmation but also in
supporting them going forward. So that's
that's just my one perspective to it.
Council member Holloway. So, why don't
we put on the council agenda one, a
discussion on uh meet and greet options.
If you guys could give us some talking
material, it's kind of an open-ended
question at this stage, and that'll get
silenced. Um uh to have a discussion on
a
council panel interview uh and get
you're hearing you're hearing, Jim, I'll
tell you, you're hearing from three
council members.
and I'm not hearing
acceptance of the feedback. So, let's
put it on the council agenda. Make sure
you're just not hearing from uh three
minority members with full council.
Let's have a discussion on council
panel.
» Okay.
» Yeah, Barry,
» If I could please.
» Um I'm not sure why you're not hearing
yes because I'm practically screaming
yes. Um
» Because you haven't made any changes to
that chart. I
» He doesn't like the font either.
» I don't like the font either. That is a
horrible font. But
» That was not going to bring that up.
» But but I So how are we changing this
and where does council participate?
» Yes, that deserves an answer.
» And we don't have to have one tonight.
You have
» Look, this requires thought. Honestly,
we can't put council members in panels
with staff. Just cancel the interview.
Staff will shut up the minute one of you
show. That doesn't work.
» That's inappropriate.
» So, I absolutely hear what you want. I
absolutely I'm trying to tell you, yes,
we'll find a way to facilitate what you
want. I just got to figure out how that
will work.
» And I'm not going to shoot from the hip,
but give us 24 hours to figure it out.
» That's fair.
Okay. Thank you very much, Mayor.
Right. Sorry.
» Oh, I just wanted to say from a legal
perspective.
» Yes. Yes, please.
» Sorry.
» Bernie Burke, you you got precedence
over all of it.
» Oh, thanks. Um
just um if we could get 24 hours notice
so we can post potential quorum or
special meetings. That's the only thing
I would ask for.
» Can we change the font?
» I I can draft this, but absolutely. I
will tell the person who drafted it to
change the font.
» Okay. That was just a side thumb at you,
Rebecca.
» Make it a big deal. Go ahead.
» Yes, please. To
» Be fair, I made it just for the mayor
and the mayor said that he loved it and
to ask.
» So, I made it for him only.
» Oh, well, now that we know that the font
is fine.
» No, but next time you make it for the
mayor, you ask him, "Are you going to
present it?"
» Ask that next time for sure.
» Thank you. Sorry. Sorry to out you on
your font.
All right. Moving
right along. Let's let's let's switch
gears million. But any go on. Let's
let's switch gears over to covered load
enforcement discussion. Uh
» Chief, which chief wants to take this
one on,
» Please?
» Uh good evening, council members again.
Um so this is more of a discussion just
to kind of update. We've been receiving
a number of complaints um around the
city, mostly down the Parkway for
unsecured loads, uh big trucks that
don't have their um loads covered,
things like that. Um things falling from
them in different areas of the Parkway.
So, as I kind of mentioned earlier,
we've been reaching out to some of those
companies that have been pointed out to
us by community members when they see it
and they get the name off the truck and
we'll reach out to them because again we
have to on view that violation
which is an RCW. And then I've asked all
the officers to again be mindful, pay
attention, watch for things. if you see
something falling out or you see an
unsecured load that they take
enforcement action or at least an
education piece going hey next time or
you know whatever they feel that
discretion needs to be um we've had some
vehicles that have been struck um by
falling debris things like that so we're
taking it very seriously I've asked
Washington State Patrol's commercial
commercial motor vehicle division to
come out and provide a continuous um
assistance to us and kind of to help us
curb some of the commercial motor
vehicle things that are going on again
the use of compression brakes and now
this and they have agreed they're
assigning that out. I've been in
communication by email to uh one of the
lieutenants and then the uh supervisor
over the lieutenant that's actually over
the commercial motor vehicle division in
this section uh or in this district for
them. So we're taking it serious. We're
going to have some, you know, if we see
it, we will address it and hopefully
curb this uh concern. Uh, and we're
looking at both areas, 202 and the
Parkway, which is our, you know,
frequently traveled areas. I don't
haven't had any complaints of them in
any of the subdivisions, obviously, but
those are our main focus points.
» I do have a question. I I think this is
an awesome thing. Thank you for doing
the covered loads.
I have seen large rigs parked in
neighborhoods and I don't know if that's
an issue. Maybe it was weather related
but um with loads huge industrial loads
like for instance a week ago there were
there was a flatbed truck with several
rolls of astroturf huge rolls parked in
one of the neighborhoods. I don't
remember where. Um, and you know, the
more that we can do to make sure that
um, we have a lot of truck traffic that
goes up and down the Parkway. The
parkway is not built for trucks to begin
with. It's built for cars,
even though it looks like a freeway. I
think the more that we can do to help
bring some harmony to our residents,
the better off we are. So, yay on Jake
brakes, yay on covered loads. Um, third
one is speed and you're addressing that.
Maybe we need cameras for uncovered
loads. I don't know. But anyway, um,
those are my perspectives as far as this
is a discussion for the committee. Is
um, the other council members have any
questions or input?
I
» Covered loads
» For those companies. If you know, if
Jake breaks are an issue, uncovered
loads are an issue, wear and tear on the
streets an issue, maybe that's a
non-commercial street.
» And and you know, to address like the
parking concerns, we've been addressing
parking concerns with the 18-wheelers.
Um we had we had one not that long ago
on Douglas um that we addressed and and
we're constantly reviewing things. I
mean, you're going to see several
ordinances over the next, you know, year
or more where we're just trying to
update things that, you know, I think we
have one coming forward to y'all soon
that was original from 1903.
Um, so there's a lot of things that we
just have to bring and and get up to
date and if we see something, we are
addressing it. Um, parking is one of
those concerns um, specifically for the
downtown area um, because there's a lot
of issues there. But with this issue, it
is something that would is on our radar.
We need to, you know, at least address
it and and like I said, we're also
communicating with those companies. Um,
once we're told who they are, if
somebody sees it, even if we don't see
it and they just shoot us an email, that
communication goes a long way with a
company. when I when we contact
management go, hey, this is what was
seen today. Can you have a conversation
with your truck drivers? And then we go
from there.
» Thank you. Council member Cotton,
» Is is there an ordinance already
existing like from 1986 on the covered
load uh enforcement?
» So that so the covering of loads is
actually handled by the RCW. It's under
the unsecured load. So we don't need an
ordinance on that one. Um it's state
law.
» Okay. And so there's that's one of the
reasons like commercial having
commercial motor vehicle group from
state patrol come out. It's across the
board the same. They're not trying to
enforce an ordinance citing it in our
court. Theirs would go to district
court. Ours would go to municipal court,
but it's the same law.
» Okay. Thank you.
» Thank you, Mayor. Please, if
» I could, um, we've had a
increasing number of complaints come in
on, um, covered loads. To to be
specific, they don't complain about
covered load. They complain about the
little rock chips hitting their
windshield and, you know, boom, there's
your $500 deductible and your insurance
rate goes up next year. So um
the the a question I have for you is um
as we sort of move into more enforcement
of this, is this something you want to
have a discussion with at council such
that um uh and is it something you want
us to start doing some um communications
around so we start to get the word out
to residents that really we are being
responsive to this concern. Um so i.e.
the great police department's doing some
things. Do you want to do beyond that do
some communications things around this
maybe with the rest of the council and
or with the rest of the community?
» We'll do a round robin. My preference is
the administration just puts out the
message that covered loads is important.
Jake brakes exists. We have an ordinance
and speed is a concern and that can all
come from the administration side except
we have to pass this this ordinance
piece first on that. But um other
council members
» In the at least the public safety
section of the agenda coming council
agenda coming up as chair can you just
mention that we had conversations in
regards to uncovered loads. They've got
the Jake break which they'll have.
» Um,
» And what was the other one?
» Speed and parking.
» Okay.
» And just make the rest of the council
aware those conversations are going on.
And yeah, I got in the community
newsletter or whatever. Yeah.
» I'm not sure you're getting the right
audience, but Yeah.
» Okay. Excellent. Thank you. If if I
could on the audience, the point there
is
» To let the community know that we are
responding
» And that we're we're doing some things
in this area. I I think is the point I
was trying to make. Yes. The people who
are causing the problem are probably not
paying attention to our communications.
» Okay. Excellent. Thank you, Council
Member Cotton.
» And that I was along that same line. And
I was just wondering if um since the
truck drivers uh you know may not reside
in this area where they're necessarily
reading the the community news but I
would think that to emphasize that that
you know washed up I is you know
Washington State Patrol is also in you
know adding to the enforcement fines
have been increasing you know all those
types of things I think are good
um
approaches to the to communication that
we put out so that that we're taking it
seriously.
» Well done. Uh one more. Yes.
» Are the truck drivers teamsters?
» They may or may not be. It depends on
the company.
» I don't know.
» I don't know. It may be interesting to
contact the teamsters and say, "Hey,
this has become an issue." whether you
what whatever they want to do with it.
They may do a general
community, they probably have a
newsletter to say, "Hey,
there's heightened concern about
unsecured loads and Jake breaks and all
that."
» May you
» Washington Truckers Association, there's
a number along the lines of what you're
saying. There are groups that we can go
to and so we'll do that as well uh to
get the the word out. Um, as you all
know with regard to the rocks, you know,
it's the quarry and they go up the
Parkway to get to I90 and when they
don't cover the load, um, our residents
pay for it with their windshields.
» Well, and out of all fairness, covering
the load helps to mitigate some of it,
but whenever you put loose rock in the
bed of a truck,
» Happen. So, it's like, yeah, it's just
one of those things. But, you know, we
we definitely want to do everything to
keep our uh community safe. And so,
thank you and and thank you, Council
Member Holloway. I will definitely make
sure that that's part of the report out.
Um and then, uh with that, we're down to
unless there's anything else you want to
add, Chief. Thank you very much, Chief
Heresy. Um items for future discussion.
Council member Cotton, please. Uh well,
you know, I always have something.
» That's okay. That's good. That's why
» Um and this may actually be more
relevant after uh tomorrow's open house
or meeting um with the public. But um I
would certainly like to see um even
though the um uh Jupiter Power um
battery energy storage system uh is not
within the city limits, it's immediately
adjacent.
And um I do believe it's a matter of
public safety in the fact that our fire
department will be the first uh agency
to respond to any uh issues there. And
so I I certainly think that, you know,
pending what what's happening going
forward, this is something that
definitely needs to be on our radar from
a public safety standpoint.
um that that uh we would probably be
having more discussions about.
» Okay. Well, we will take that under
advisement. The um the current permit
process has been halted. They've
withdrawn the the permit. However,
there's a public hearing tomorrow night
or a public presentation tomorrow night.
Public presentation. Thank you. Sorry,
said the wrong thing. Um where we can
learn more about it and we'll continue
to lean in. Um, anything else that uh,
Chief Bailey or the mayor would like to
add?
» We're not right now.
» Good. Right. Yeah. We're just kind of on
a
» Something we're monitoring very closely.
Yep.
» Yeah. Okay. Anything else for the good
of the order?
» Hearing none, I will call for the
adjournment.
Any any objection tojourn?
And hearing none, we stand adjourned at
5:50 p.m. Thank you very much.